Sun Exposure in Real Estate: What Every Buyer Should Know

Why sun exposure matters for property value and livability

Sunlight is one of the most important factors in how a home feels, yet it is one of the most commonly overlooked during property viewings. A bright, sun-filled apartment feels spacious, warm, and inviting. The same floor plan in permanent shadow feels cramped, cold, and depressing. Research consistently shows that natural light affects mood, sleep quality, energy levels, and even productivity. It is not just a nice-to-have — it is a fundamental quality-of-life factor.

Sun exposure also has a direct impact on property value. South-facing apartments in the Northern Hemisphere typically command a premium of 5 to 15 percent compared to north-facing units in the same building. Properties with good natural light sell faster and attract more interest. Conversely, apartments that receive little direct sunlight can be significantly harder to sell or rent, especially in northern climates where winter daylight hours are already limited.

Beyond comfort and value, sun exposure affects practical matters like heating costs. A south-facing home with good sun exposure benefits from passive solar heating in winter, reducing energy bills. A north-facing apartment in the shadow of a taller building may need heating even on mild days. Over years of ownership, this difference adds up to thousands of euros in energy costs.

How to check sun exposure throughout the day

The biggest mistake property buyers make is visiting an apartment at one time of day and assuming the light conditions they see are representative. A west-facing apartment viewed at 4 PM in summer might be flooded with beautiful afternoon light. Visit the same apartment at 10 AM in winter and it will be dark and gloomy. To truly understand a property's sun exposure, you need to consider the full day and the full year.

Start by checking the orientation. South-facing rooms get the most consistent sunlight throughout the day. East-facing rooms get morning sun but lose it by afternoon. West-facing rooms are dark in the morning but brighten up in the afternoon and evening. North-facing rooms in the Northern Hemisphere get very little direct sunlight — mostly just some in early morning and late evening during the longest summer days.

But orientation alone tells only part of the story. What matters just as much is what is around the property. A south-facing apartment on the fifth floor with no tall buildings to the south will get excellent sun all year. The same orientation on the ground floor of a narrow street with a six-story building directly to the south may get almost no direct sunlight in winter. You need to consider the building's surroundings, not just its compass direction. For a comprehensive understanding, see how sun exposure analysis works for real estate evaluation using shadow data.

Seasonal differences most buyers miss

Seasons dramatically change the sun situation of any property, and most buyers fail to account for this. In Northern Europe, the sun reaches about 60 degrees above the horizon at midsummer but only about 15 degrees in midwinter. This means a building that casts a 10-meter shadow in June casts a 75-meter shadow in December. An apartment that enjoys direct sunlight in summer can be in permanent building shadow throughout the winter months.

This is particularly critical for ground-floor and lower-floor apartments in urban areas. In summer, the high sun clears most neighboring buildings and these apartments get decent light. In winter, the low sun angle means neighboring buildings cast shadows that can extend across entire blocks. If you are viewing a ground-floor apartment in June and it seems bright, check what happens in December before making your decision.

The length of the day matters too. In Amsterdam, for example, there are about 16 hours of daylight in June but only 8 in December. Combined with the lower sun angle and longer building shadows, winter days in a poorly oriented apartment can feel extremely dark. Conversely, a well-oriented upper-floor apartment can feel bright and pleasant even in the shortest days of winter, because the sun still reaches it during the limited daylight hours.

Understanding how building shadows change throughout the day and across seasons is essential knowledge for any property buyer.

Evaluating balcony and garden sun exposure

Outdoor spaces like balconies, terraces, and gardens deserve special attention when evaluating sun exposure. A balcony that never gets direct sunlight is essentially just a cold storage shelf. A garden in permanent shadow limits what you can grow and is unlikely to be a pleasant place to sit. Yet many buyers focus on the size of the outdoor space without considering whether it actually gets any sun.

For balconies, check not only the direction they face but also whether the floor above creates an overhang that blocks the high summer sun. A south-facing balcony with a deep overhang might only get direct sun in the morning and evening when the sun is low enough to come in from the sides. Conversely, a recessed balcony that faces southwest might get wonderful late-afternoon sun that a flat assessment of compass direction would miss.

For gardens, the key factor is usually the buildings to the south. In a typical urban garden, the house itself is to the north and the garden extends to the south — this is the ideal arrangement. But if there are tall buildings or large trees to the south of the garden, they will cast long shadows across it, especially in winter. Check the garden's sun exposure across different seasons and times of day. A garden that gets 6 hours of direct sun in summer but zero in winter will limit your gardening season and outdoor enjoyment significantly.

If the garden is important to you, you might want to explore how to find the sunniest outdoor spots using shadow map data to evaluate any garden location.

Using Coffee in the Sun to evaluate properties

Coffee in the Sun provides a powerful way to evaluate sun exposure for any property, at any time of year. Instead of making multiple visits to a property at different times and seasons — which is impractical when you are house hunting and need to make quick decisions — you can check the building shadow situation on the map for any address, any time of day, and any date of the year.

When evaluating a property, start by finding the address on the map and checking the current shadow situation. Then use the Time Travel feature to scrub through the entire day. Note when direct sunlight first reaches the property and when it disappears behind building shadows. Do this for a summer date and a winter date to understand the seasonal range. A property that gets 8 hours of direct sun in June but only 1 hour in December is a very different proposition from one that gets 6 hours year-round.

Pay particular attention to the hours when you are most likely to be home and want sunlight. If you work from home, check late morning and early afternoon. If you are only home in the evenings, focus on late afternoon sun. And always check the outdoor spaces — balcony, terrace, or garden — separately, as they may have different sun exposure from the interior rooms due to overhangs, neighboring structures, and orientation.

Coffee in the Sun turns what used to be guesswork into precise, verifiable data. Before you commit to a property, check its sun exposure across the full year. The few minutes it takes could save you from years of living in an apartment that never sees the sun when you need it most.